“And he said to them, Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses” (Luke 12:15).
Turning from addressing His apostles, Jesus now directs His discourse to the multitude to teach a lesson about priorities in life: with this instruction, He is introducing the parable of “a certain rich man” as an illustration of this teaching.
“Covetousness” means “showing a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else.” Rooted in greed, it is the opposite of maintaining a balanced attitude toward prosperity and of showing a generous concern for the welfare of others.
Those who follow Jesus must realize that possessions and the desire to have more cannot be the driving force in life. He is not teaching that His followers should not be prosperous but that they should be good stewards of whatever they have been blessed with: other passages teach us to work hard and to use our blessings appropriately, even sharing where there is a legitimate need.
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